Shoelace structure



June 24, 1958 R. BENOIT sHoELAcE STRUCTURE Filed July 1, 1955 IN V EN TOR. RAFAEL BENOIT IIHIHIIIIIIIIIIIIU 2,839,804 A .Y Y lfatented .lune

2,839,804 SI'JOLC STRUCTURE Rafael lvenoit, New York, N. Y. Applican Jury 1, 1955,0'sefia1 No. 519,4'6

1 claim. (cl. 2li- 73) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shoestrings or lacing devices for shoes.

More particularly, the present invention proposes the construction of an improved shoelace device which can be used easily and conveniently by adults or children to lace shoes without tying the laces.

As a further object, the present invention proposes forming the lace device with an elastic lace or laces and with a stiff plastic or metal tip member for each lace bent or otherwise formed with end portions extending in substantially parallel planes and a connecting portion all constructed and arranged for the tip member quickly and securely to be removably anchored in the lace opening of a shoe.

Still further, the present invention proposes constructing the lace device with an anchor plate member adapted to underlie one of the lace opening aps of a shoe and with a plurality of spaced elastic laces with stili tip members, each lace being fixed at one end to the anchor plate member and adapted to pass through and span across opposed lace openings on the two lace opening aps of a shoe for the tip member to be self-anchored in one of the lace openings.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a front top view of a shoe having a lace device constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective side view of the shoe and lace device shown in Fig. l but with three of the laces unfastened.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front perspective view of the lace device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a -rear face view of the structure shown in Fig. 3. ,f

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

The lace device, in accordance with the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, is designated generally by the reference numeral 15.

Lace device 15 has a at anchor plate member 16 which is adapted to lit under and underlie lace openings flap 17 of shoe 18, a-s shown in Figs. l and 2. The shoe 18 has the usual two lace opening flaps 17 and 19 with spaced lace openings or eyelets 20, the lace openings 20 on one flap being opposite those on the other flap in the customary manner. y .l

Anchor plate member 16 includes a stiffener sheet 21 and a cover sheet 22. The Icover sheet 22 is of flexible material such as cloth, buckram, leather or the like and 2 Y thel stilener sheet may` berrorf heavy cardboard,plastic, metal yor other thin, stiff material. h- ,Y f I Elastic laces 23, 24,25, A,2 6 and 2 7 all identically or similarly constructed, are provided. Each lace Ihas one end` 2,8,isecured tothe anchor platemember 16 ony the front face A29 ofthe anchor ,-plate member., Staples or other 4fastener members` 30 secure the' ends 28 inspaced relation and ,fix the laces to the anchor plate member.. Y A LaesJZ, 24 `25, 26 and 27 Veach hasa freeend 31' and to these free ends 31 are secured stiff tip members 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, respectively. The tip members may be of plastic or metal or like material and are similarly or identically constructed.

Each tip member 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 has two offset spaced end portions 37 and 38 which are disposed substantially in parallel planes, and a connecting portion 39 which is either inclined or substantially perpendicular to the end portions 37 and 38. Preferably, the end portions 37 and 38 have opposed flattened faces 40 and 41.

Anchor plate member 16 is provided with spaced openings 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 adjacent one side edge and the laces 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 extend through these openings to the front face 29 of the anchor plate member 16.

The use of the device is simple. The anchor plate member 16 is placed under one of the shoe flaps 17 or 19 and the stiff tip members 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 are passed through the lace openings 20 of that flap to dispose the laces on the outside of the flap. The laces are then stretched or placed over the tongue 49 of the shoe to' span the space between the opposed lace openings 20 on the two flaps 17 and 19.

Stiff tip members 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 are then inserted to the extent of their free end portions 38 vdown into the lace openings 20 on the flap opposite that under which the anchor plate member lies. The tip members are each inserted so that their connecting portion 39 extends through the lace opening and t-he end portions 37 and 38 overlie and underlie respectively the flap to anchor this end of the lace to that ap.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is characterized by an elastic lace 60 adapted to lace through the lace openings of a shoe in the regular manner and having ends 61 and 62 to which are secured stiff tip members 63 and 64, respectively. The stiff tip members are similarly constructed with offset end portions 65 and 66 disposed in substantially parallel planes and a connecting portion 67 diagonally or substantially perpendicularly disposed. The end portions 65 and 66 have flattened faces 68 and 69. The lace 60 may be made of any length and can be made of a length suflicient only to span between a single set of opposed lace openings, a number of the laces being provided corresponding to the number of sets of lace openings in a shoe. Or the lace 60 can be used to close the upper set of lace openings of a shoe while the lace device shown in Figs. l to 5, inclusive, closes the lower or remaining sets of lace openings.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent A shoelace device comprising an elastic lace adapted to pass through and span across opposed shoelace openings of a shoe, a stiff tip member secured `to one end of the lace, said stiff tip member having two offset end portions disposed in substantially parallel planes and a connecting portion angularly kdisposed relative to the end portionsfb/etween saidY end portions, said end portions being adapted to lie on and under a lace opening ap of a shoe when said connecting portion of the tip member is extending through a shoelace opening in the ap, and a fiat'anohor plate member havingv'openin'gs therein and n being adapted to underlie -oneofl the lace opening flaps of a' shoe, said lace having another endrextendingvthrough one of said openings and being fixed-to the front'face of the anchor plate member, andV a plurality of additional lacesreach having twoA ends wtih one end extending 10 through another of said openings and being xed to the front face of the anchorv plate member and spaced'from thetotherV laces, and additional tip members secured one UNITED STATES PATENTS 583,564 Benford: June 1, 1897 1,115,204 Jeffords Oct. 27, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,434 Sweden Jan. 29, 1952 494,065 GermanyY Mar. 18, 1930 

